


Communication is Key

by T97Carolina



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 02:22:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12245193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T97Carolina/pseuds/T97Carolina
Summary: Fluff, first fight, fluff





	Communication is Key

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know that anyone is exactly looking for a first fight fic, but I'm intrigued by all of their firsts. 
> 
> Also I'm too lazy right now to put in italics what should be in italics so I'll come fix that another day.

Adena looks down at Kat's sleeping face, her fingers lightly stroking Kat's upper arm. One benefit of being an early riser is that Adena often gets to enjoy the quiet early morning, when the sunlight streams into her apartment, when Kat still sleeps in her arms, in a quiet peacefulness that doesn't typically grace her face when awake. 

Kat's eyes begin to flutter and then her brow furrows as her alarm grows louder. Adena reaches over to silence it and continues the process of waking Kat with a kiss to her nose and then her cheeks. 

“Mmm, you're a much nicer wake up call than my phone.” Kat buries her head into Adena's neck and Adena wraps her arms around Kat a little more tightly. Kat kisses Adena’s neck and glides her hand down Adena’s side, resting at her hip. She squeezes and pulls away, “Mmm, no, I have to go home and get ready for work” she says more to herself than Adena.

“No,” Adena argues, “don't go, not yet.” Adena brings her lips to Kat’s, hoping to tempt her into staying longer. 

Kat gives in to her kiss for a second before reluctantly pulling away again, “I have to, babe.” 

“You know, you could bring a change of clothing when you stay over. I could make some room in my dresser. Then you wouldn't have to rush off in the morning.”

Kat laughs, pulling her boots on, “You don't have to do that, it's not like I stay over that often.”

“Often enough.” Adena continues to watch Kat dress “I r-”

“I really have to go,” Kat gives Adena a peck before rushing out the door. Adena falls back onto the bed, staring at the space Kat used to occupy. 

***

Adena (6:09pm): I decided to make dinner tonight. You're welcome to join. 

Kat (7:12pm): Sorry, babe. Have to work late all this week. Enjoy the food!

Kat must be busy to take her this long to respond, Adena muses as she finishes her meal. 

***

Adena can’t control the smile on her face as she waits for the elevator to let her out on the Scarlet floor. It had been three nights of Kat working late with minimal communication. Adena had this Thursday off from any work, and while she normally would enjoy spending her time reading at home, she found that she couldn’t focus at all this morning. 

When she was lounging on the sofa her eyes kept wandering from her book to her phone, hoping that she somehow missed a notification that Kat was finally responding to her Good Morning selfie. She tried distracting herself by going to the museum, but even that was too hard to concentrate on. 

So she decided to surprise Kat. She wouldn’t stay long, she told herself; she would just stop in for a minute to say hi and drop off a snack she bought for Kat. 

When Adena accepts that she cannot find Kat and should probably not be wandering around all of the Scarlet office looking for her, she goes to the reception area. 

“Hi, I’m looking for Kat.”

“She’s not here,” the woman responds without looking up.

“Oh -well that’s nice that she got to leave early one night this week,” Adena whispers more to herself. Although it’s odd that Kat hadn’t said anything to her.

“Kat’s not working late this week.” She finally looks at Adena, “Can I help you with something?”

“Uh,” Adena falters, “um, no, thank you.” Adena walks back to the elevator thoroughly confused. Kat had said she was working late all week, had been less responsive to her texts, if she wasn’t working, where was she? 

***

It’s impulsive, potentially inappropriate, but Adena needs to talk to Kat. So she went to her apartment. She’s only been to Kat’s apartment once before, but she remembers the way. And fortunately a kind couple exiting the building let her in, so she quickly finds herself at Kat’s door, knocking.

Kat opens the door and then pulls it closer to her, clearly indicating to Adena that she’s not invited in. “Oh, hey, I, um, I wasn’t expecting you,” Kat furrows her brow, questioning Adena’s presence. 

“I went by the office.”

“Oh. Uh -”

“So you’ve been working late this week?” Kat shifts uncomfortably, but doesn’t say anything. “What’s going on, Kat?”

“It’s nothing.” 

“Really?” Adena asks in disbelief.

 

“Yeah, nothing.”

“You lied to me, Kat.” Again, Kat stays silent, her features displaying no emotions. “Don’t do this to me again; Let’s just talk about whatever’s going on,” Adena almost pleads.

“I, “ Kat sighs looking down and then back at at Adena, “I don’t want to talk. Everything’s fine.”

“Clearly things are not fine. Why can’t we just talk?” Adena’s voice raises slightly.

“Just give me my space!” 

The intensity with which Kat throws out her demand catches Adena off guard. She thrusts out her hand, hardens her face, “Alright.” Adena drops the bag and turns on her heel headed back for her apartment. 

Had she looked back, she would have seen Kat lean her head against the door frame, eyes closed in regret. Would have seen her look after Adena sadly before picking up the bag and the guilt that filed her face when she saw that the bag is from her favorite bakery and holds her favorite stress snack - a red velvet cupcake. 

***

Adena is angry painting when she hears a knock at the door. It’s Friday night. The night that Kat typically comes over and they find a random Netflix movie to watch snuggled together on the sofa. 

Adena unlocks the door, slightly opens it, and walks away. 

“Hey,” Kat calls out in her usual, happy tone. “So I just heard about this -”

Adena turns around and glares, “We’re not okay, Kat.”

Kat sighs, drops her eyes to the ground, “I know.” Adena remains silent, waiting for Kat to say more. Kat slowly lifts her gaze to Adena who is staring at her, arms folded across her chest. “I freaked out. I’m sorry.”

Adena lifts her eyebrows, seeking more.

“I - I don’t know,” Kat drops onto the sofa. “It’s like everything is good and natural together, but then something happens, that makes me, like, aware? I- and - then I just freak out, overthinking everything.”

Adena sits on the sofa, arms still crossed, her face softening slightly. “So what happened? What made you ‘aware’?”

“It’s so stupid. It was making space in the dresser.” 

“Kat, it’s not stupid. Your feelings are never stupid.” Even in her frustration with Kat, Adena cannot let her refer to her reaction as stupid. Just like Kat uses humor to avoid, she often minimizes or dismisses her emotions when expressed. “I didn’t mean for that to freak you out. It was just an offer, a suggestion. You don’t have to bring anything over if you don’t want to.”

“I just hadn’t realized how much time I spend here. And I love spending time here, but then I was freaking out about how much time I spend here. And I just wanted some space to - and then I just . . . lied.”

“Yeah,” Adena whispers softly recalling the pain she felt when she first realized that Kat had lied to avoid her. 

Kat reaches her hands out to Adena’s leg. “And I’m so sorry, Adena. I shouldn’t have lied. And I felt like shit, knowing that I was doing exactly what I did before you went to Paris. Before I pushed you to Paris. And you had just been trying to take me a cupcake because you thought I was stressed!” Kat hides her face in her hands, “I - I’m just so fucked up.”

The anger Adena felt earlier is melting away with each word Kat utters. This is what Adena had wanted when she showed up at Kat’s door, an honest conversation around what happened. It’s clear that Kat has been thinking about her actions and the effect on Adena. And even if Adena was angry, she didn’t want Kat feeling poorly. 

Adena pulls Kat’s hands away from her face, and wraps her arms around her. “We’re all fucked up in our own ways.”

Kat wraps her arms around Adena, the cold distance between them finally gone. Adena can feel the tension Kat was holding in her body slip away as she sinks into her embrace.

“But you can’t do this every time you freak out.”

“I know, babe. I’m so so sorry.”

Adena caresses her cheek, “I know you are, I forgive you. I just need you to talk to me when this happens. This won’t work if we don’t talk.” Adena pauses scared that what she wants to say will be another thing that scares Kat, but she has to say it. “And I want this to work.”

“I do too,” Kat admits

***

“This was like my first real fight, like ever,” Kat stares at Adena’s hands, her fingers playing with Adena’s. 

“Ever?”

“Basically. My parents didn’t argue with me. We “processed”. And I’ve never been with anyone long enough to even learn last names.”

Adena raises her brow.

“Okay, that might be an exaggeration,” Kat smiles , “but never long enough to care about someone.”

“So how was this?”

“I thought, “ she sighs, “that if I brought it up, things would get weird. Or that we’d talk about it forever. And I . . . just don’t like to deal with things sometimes.”

“I know.” Adena smiles at her.

“But this wasn’t so bad. You’re incredible and patient and unbelievably kind. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you.” 

It’s little statements like that which flow so naturally from Kat’s mouth when she’s not worrying about what everything means that show Adena how very much Kat meant that Adena throws her off. 

Adena leans forward and kisses Kat. Their lips moving softly against each other. Adena feels grateful that she gets to see this side of Kat, grateful that Kat isn’t running away, that she’s trying to let Adena in even when it feels uncomfortable. 

Kat lays her head on Adena’s chest, Adena’s arms wrapped around her, the movie they were watching long over. The house is silent beyond their breathing. Kat continues to play with Adena’s hand, her features calm, as though she can just be. 

And then it’s gone. “Y’know makeup sex is something else I haven’t experienced,” Kat smiles up at Adena, trying to lighten the mood. She's satisfied with the laughter this evokes from Adena.

***

It takes a few more weeks before Kat brings over a change of clothing. She doesn’t put it in the dresser, or the closet, instead leaving it slung across the sofa. But her clothing is there, in Adena’s apartment, so that when the sun rises the next day, Kat doesn’t have to run back to her apartment. No, the next morning, she's able to enjoy Adena's good morning kisses without having to pull away.

**Author's Note:**

> This was by far the most difficult thing I've written. Thank you so much @funnyhowthatis for helping me get to an ending I didn't hate.
> 
> Please validate me.


End file.
